South Carolina Football: 10 observations from fall practice so far

South Carolina Football’s Fall Camp Observations:
Dowell Loggains’ Offensive Philosophy Is Very Different than Marcus Satterfield’s.

The Marcus Satterfield experience was not usually a fun one for the Carolina offense. The Gamecocks did not have much offensive success under Coach Satt, and when they did, it was only after certain restrictions were placed on the playcaller. The Gamecock offense often fell victim to self-inflicted mistakes, especially mental errors that seemed to stem from a system that was too complicated, especially for the quarterback and offensive line.

Though new offensive coordinator Dowell Loggains also coached in the NFL, he will not be running a complicated NFL scheme like Satterfield. Players have talked all offseason about how much more comfortable they are in Loggains’ system due to its simplicity. That talk has continued this fall, and the fruit has been seen in fall practice.

One of Loggains’ big points of emphasis in previous press conferences was that he would be committed to getting the ball to good players, no matter what it took. In offensive team periods so far during camp, there has been a lot of chatter about how good Josh Simon and Xavier Legette have looked.

Projected starter at center Vershon Lee has talked about how the simplicity of Loggains’ offense has made his transition from guard to center easier. Eric Douglas’ departure to the NFL has been a big talking point this offseason as much for his mental prowess as his blocking ability, so hearing Lee express his confidence in understanding the offense and captaining the line is a good sign.

“12 personnel” (one back, two tight ends) has been a popular look in camp, and with Simon and Knox both serving as legitimate receiving threats from the tight end spot, that makes sense. Typically, with the two tight ends on the field, there has only been one (at most) that has been attached to the offensive line.

Loggains’ “multiple” offense will have some different characteristics from other schemes, but its air raid-like plan to go fast and to get the football in playmakers’ hands (whether by run or by pass) will be fun to watch progress this fall and into the start of the 2023 season.